A RARE insight into the world of late Victorian commerce in Guildford has survived in the form of old letters, bill heads, certificates and a couple of photographs.

Rowbotham & Co acted as a valuer for the hotel and pub trade. One of its biggest customers was the Friary brewery. It traded from Bridge Street and Commercial Road for many years finally vacating the landmark premises beside the bridge in the 1970s.

It was at this time when Brian Alexander of Guildford salvaged a fascinating amount of paperwork from the firm that had literally been thrown out as rubbish.

Definitely rubbish to some people, but now, 30 years on, anyone with the slightest interest in history will appreciate what Brian was able to salvage.

One of the most interesting letters is from the time Rowbotham & Co decided to add a telephone to its office equipment and paraphernalia.

The letter is dated April 30, 1901, and was sent from The National Telephone Company Limited, from its Guildford office in Market Street. It reads: “Gentlemen, with reference to your Mr Rowbotham’s call here this morning, I enclose herewith copy of agreement for telephone connection at the Message Rate, along with particulars of fees, and exchanges, etc, account for first year’s installation and deposit, etc. Your new telephone number will be 0181, and this will appear in the next issue of the directory which is published in June.”

The particulars of the “telephone apparatus” was “one table instrument and a telephone circuit”.

The rate was set at £3 10s (£3.50) per annum plus “one penny per message of three minutes or portion thereof to subscribers on the same exchange, or two pence per message to subscribers on other exchanges in the Guildford area”.

The area included Godalming, Aldershot, North Camp, Farnborough, Camberley and Woking.

It was also pointed out that “trunk communication can also be had subject to the usual arrangement, plus one penny per message initiated over and above the ordinary trunk rates, and subject to the usual deposits”.